It was Ralph
by chills10124
Summary: One-shot based on the description for episode 1x13. Cabe informs Walter on a problem that has arisen, involving Ralph. Walter/Paige if you read it like that. Rated T so I don't get in trouble.
1. Ralph

A/N: I as researching the next episode of Scorpion 1x13, set t com out in January, and I decided to make a one-shot out of it. This is basically a theory that I have of what I think caused the situation. This is all based off the episode description, so it's not full of spoilers or anything. I actually planned on writing this awhile ago, but I was a little caught up in other fanfics I was writing, and I wanted to take care of those before starting another. Anyway, sorry for my rambling, and I hope you all like this. R&R, I want to know what you think. Enjoy :)

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><p>Team Scorpion, bar Cabe, was gathered upstairs at the workshop. Walter and Sylvester were doing equations with Ralph. Paige was watching them as well as Happy and Toby, who were playing a card game in the corner. Sylvester had a shocked look on his face, while Ralph and Walter were laughing. Paige thought the sight was beautiful. She loved it when Ralph and Walter were happy, mostly because it seemed to be a rare occurrence.<p>

Downstairs, the door squeaked open, then shut loudly. Seconds later, heavy footfalls on the stairs alerted the group of someone coming. Soon Cabe came into a view, his face stoic and his posture tense. "Walter." The team's handler said over the music Toby was playing. "I need to speak with you. Alone." The mood in the room grew wary, and Toby turned his music off. Walter frowned, but set down his chalk and walked over to Cabe. The two men descended down the stairs, Cabe walking tensely to the garage. Once they got there, Walter didn't hesitate to question Cabe.

"What's the problem?" He asked. Cabe stared at him, intensity in his eyes.

"A group of CIA agents were assassinated this morning at a safe house." The man reported grimly. Walter frowned.

"I'll go get the team. We can figure out who-" Cabe cut him off.

"No." Walter stopped, looking at Cabe with a mixture of confusion and annoyance.

"Cabe. We're perfectly capable-" He began to argue, only to be cut off again.

"Its not that. " Cabe said. Walter scowled.

"What is it then?" He asked, annoyance growing. Cabe sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"The safehouse that was attacked was the one you guys were just at a few days ago." Cabe admitted. "The suspects tracked you guys there." Walter gaped.

"How! We didn't have any trackers on us! We didn't use phones or anything!" The genius raised his voice, outing himself of the verge of yelling. Cabe looked defeated, as if what he was about to say was going to crush him. Walter didn't realize it, but there were three words that were weighing down of Cabe. Those same three words would destroy Walter himself, and devastate the team.

"They tracked a computer, Walter. You guys had someone with you, who was playing games on the internet, and the suspects tracked the computer." Cabe said. Walter's mind tried to put the pieces together, and he looked at Cabe with shock, needing confirmation.

"Wha..." The genius trailed off, speechless for once in his life.

Upstairs, the rest of the team was clueless as to what was going on. Completely unknowing of the situation. Cabe took a deep breath.

"It was Ralph."


	2. Questioning their lead

A/N: Okay, so, I decided that this would become a series of one shots. I just saw the preview for episode 1x13, so I wrote what I think might play out. I added a littel Walter/Paige fluff just to help highlight Walter's relationship with Ralph. I might update again after the extended promo and sneak previews come out. Then hopefully, I might do something after the episode. Now promises. Anyway, here's what is swirling around in my thoughts. Enjoy :)

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><p>The team watched as Ralph sat in an interrogation room, a Homeland Security agent asking him questions. The ten year old looked calm, seeming oblivious to the situation, despite having more than a good understanding of it. The child shrugged and said few words, answering the agents questions with short answers.<p>

Walter had a straight face, void of emotion. He seemed to be careless, not worried about the situation. His tense, rigid posture suggested otherwise though. Suddenly the man left, walking away from the one-way window and out into the hallway. Paige followed him as he walked across the hall into an empty room, worry lines creasing her forehead.

In the room, Walter walked in a few steps before turning around and standing still. The genius was restless, not able to stop fidgeting. "It could have been him..." Walter trailed off. "He might know..." Paige stopped in front of him.

"What are you talking about?" She questioned, anger welling up inside her at Walter's comments.

"Ralph. He could have accidentally leaked the coordinates. Or he might know. The games he was playing-" Paige cut him off. Anger flared in her, casting a red glint in her carmel eyes. Her eyebrows furrowed in frustration. Stepping forward, she got right in Walter's face, hands fisted at her sides.

"You think he-YOU THINK RALPH DID THIS?!" She screamed. Betrayal sizzled in her gut. Walter was supposed to understand how hard things were for mentally enabled people. He was supposed to care about Ralph. He had SAID he cared about Ralph. Now he was ACCUSING him of revealing a safe house?

In the other room, the rest of the team heard Paige's yell. Happy debated going over to make sure things were okay. Toby noticed, and he lay a hand on her shoulder. Spinning around, she glared at him. He shook his head in warning. Sighing, Happy ended their silent conversation and returned to watching Ralph.

Meanwhile, Walter was trying to stay calm. Paige had taken his comments the wrong way. Of course he didn't blame Ralph. He just thought that someone had gotten the location of the safe house off of Ralph somehow. "No. I think he might have some way to find the suspects. They might have somehow gotten the location off of him. I-I don't know." He admitted. "I care about Ralph. He is my top priority. I'm not going to let him get hurt. I have blood on MY hands, because I designed a software that was used to kill THOUSANDS of people. This, was accidental. If Ralph is involved, he didn't mean anything he might have done. I won't let him go through what I did. I WILL keep him safe." Walter said.

Paige smiled some, glad to know that Walter wasn't blaming Ralph. She felt a little stupid, having blown up so easily. She was about to apologize, but stopped when Walter turned. He planted his hands on the table in the room, fingers splayed. He brought one hand up, dragging it stressfully through his hair before planting it again. Squeezing his eyes shut, he admitted something he didn't like to admit. "I just don't...know." Paige watched as he dropped his head, eyes still closed. Off course the situation would bring up memories for him. Then he did something she would usually only do with a "normal" person. She placed one of her hands over one of Walter's, threading their fingers together slightly. He turned his head slightly, opening his eyes to look at her.

"Thank you, for caring for Ralph." She told him. He nodded. They stayed like that for awhile, as Walter gathered his thoughts. Then he straightened.

"Let's get Ralph out of this." No one realized how difficult that would be.


End file.
